Prague
Where to Stay in Prague: Old Town or Malá Strana?
Prague's centre splits neatly across the river: the Old Town side has the square, the bars and the crowds; the castle side, Malá Strana, has baroque quiet and lamplit streets. Both are beautiful and both are walkable — the question is whether you want to sleep inside the evening bustle or across a bridge from it. The neighbourhoods just beyond, meanwhile, quietly offer the city's best value.
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Where to stay in Prague
Old Town (Staré Město)
The astronomical clock, the square and a maze of lanes that hold most of the city's bars. Everything on foot and endlessly photogenic — but weekend nights are loud, and stag parties are part of the soundscape. Ask for a courtyard room, or embrace it.
See stays hereMalá Strana
The baroque quarter under the castle, across Charles Bridge: embassies, gardens and cobbled lanes that empty beautifully at night. The romantic choice, and the quieter one — the trade is a hill to climb and a bridge between you and most restaurants.
See stays hereNew Town (Nové Město) & Wenceslas Square
The commercial spine: bigger hotels, shopping and transport in every direction. Less pretty than the name suggests around the square itself, but practical, central and often cheaper than an equivalent Old Town room.
See stays hereVinohrady
Elegant residential streets, leafy squares and Prague's best café culture, ten minutes by metro from the centre. Where expats and locals actually live — calm nights, proper restaurants and mid-range prices that undercut the Old Town comfortably.
See stays hereKarlín
The regenerated riverside district east of the centre — new hotels, some of the city's most interesting kitchens and a working-neighbourhood feel. Two metro stops from the Old Town and the value pick for repeat visitors and food-led trips.
See stays hereŽižkov
Gritty, cheap and famously dense with pubs below its TV tower. Rooms cost less than anywhere comparable and the nightlife is local rather than touristic — at the cost of hills, tram commutes and rough edges.
See stays herePlaces to stay in Prague
Browse all staysPer-night prices for a sample 3-night stay — enter your dates for real ones
Hotel · 4 guests · 2 bd · 1 ba
Tyn 636 / 9, Prague CZ, 11000
10 guests · 1 bd · 1 ba
Kamzíkova 545/3, Prague, 110 00, Czech Republic
Apartment · 6 guests · 2 bd · 1 ba
Týnská 7, Prague CZ, 11000
1 guest · 1 bd
6 Týn Ungelt, Prague, 110 00, Czech Republic
6 guests · 2 bd · 1 ba
4 Jakubská 4, Prague Czech Republic, 110 00
Apartment · 6 guests · 3 bd · 2 ba
Mikulášská, Prague CZ, 11000
Good to know
- Czechia uses the koruna, not the euro. Some tourist-facing places take euros at miserable rates — pay in koruna by card, and if a terminal offers to charge you in euros, decline: the conversion is never in your favour.
- Never change money on the street and be wary of tourist-strip exchange offices; the fair rate comes from a bank ATM. Skip 'zero commission' signs — the margin hides in the rate.
- Prague's centre is smaller than it looks — Old Town Square to the castle is a 25-minute walk. Trams cover everything else and run all night on the night routes.
- Malá Strana and the castle side are steep and cobbled; with heavy luggage or limited mobility, plan the taxi to the door rather than the romantic walk across Charles Bridge.
- The city centre's beauty peaks early: before 9am the bridge and the square belong to you and the photographers. Sleeping centrally makes those hours effortless.
When to visit
April to June and September to October are ideal — warm enough to live outdoors, cool enough to walk all day. December brings the Christmas markets and heavy crowds around the square; January and February are cold, atmospheric and the year's cheapest window. August is warm and busy but rarely oppressive.
Getting around
From the airport, bus 119 to Nádraží Veleslavín and then Metro A takes about thirty-five minutes and costs a couple of euros — there's no airport rail link, and the taxi queue is where visitors get overcharged. In town the tram network is the good one; line 22 doubles as a sightseeing route up to the Castle. The centre is walkable but hilly and cobbled, and the walk down from Hradčany is much kinder than the walk up. Tickets are time-based and must be validated as you board; inspectors are frequent and unsympathetic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Practical answers to the things people ask before booking a stay in Prague.
Browse all staysOld Town or Malá Strana — which side should I sleep on?
Old Town if you want restaurants, bars and everything outside the door and can tolerate noise; Malá Strana if you want beauty and quiet and don't mind crossing the bridge for dinner. Couples tend toward Malá Strana, first-timers and groups toward the Old Town.
Is Vinohrady too far from the sights?
No — it is ten minutes by metro or tram from the centre, and the trade is excellent: bigger rooms, calmer nights and better-value restaurants. It suits second visits, longer stays and anyone allergic to tourist crowds.
Is Prague still a cheap city?
Less than its reputation says. Central hotel rates now approach Western European levels, especially on weekends. The value survives in food, beer and transport — and in neighbourhoods like Karlín and Žižkov, where room prices haven't caught up with the centre.
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